Move On
by Nannermoose
Summary: The funny thing about drunk driving accidents is that most of the time, the drunk is not the one that gets hurt. Oneshot.


**I don't own the characters, yadda yadda :)**

* * *

The funny thing about drunk driving accidents is that most of the time, the drunk is not the one that gets hurt.

Not everyone grew and improved after the games. Some of Jenny's friends were scarred for life, and Zach came out particularly worse for wear. He promptly became an alcoholic when they got home. Jenny still loved him dearly - he was family, after all. But still, it hurt her to watch him spiral downwards even faster than ever.

Zach refused to get help for his problem, and eventually, everyone else just sort of left him to his own devices. Only Jenny stayed around. She knew it was a stupid idea, but she really wanted to fix him. That was her one horrible weakness, she knew that. She had wanted to fix Julian too, and now he was gone. But Zach was human, more easily fixed than an ancient spirit set in his ways... right?

Jenny was prone to mistakes and everyone knew it. The others had warned Jenny to either report Zach or leave him alone. They warned her that the way she was trying to fix things was only going to cause trouble. She didn't believe them.

And now she was dead.

She should have realized that Zach was far too drunk to drive.

They had gone out for a simple dinner, one where Jenny was going to try to talk all of this out with her cousin once again. Sadly, Zach used his mature looks to get some more alcohol - he couldn't even control himself during an intervention. He didn't seem to have too much, though. He promised her that he was safe to drive them home. He promised her.

Then he drifted into oncoming traffic. Jenny shrieked and tried to correct him, but pulled the steering wheel too hard. The car overcorrected and hit a ditch. When it rolled, it snapped her neck. Zach escaped with only a few scratches.

The doctor determined that Jenny had felt no pain. Death had been immediate. It did nothing to silence the woe of her loved ones. Jenny, who had been everyone's ray of light, was now gone.

* * *

The hardest thing to get used to had been the sheer amount of spirits that just sort of hang around. When Jenny had woken alone in the road side ditch, she had been surrounded by them. There was a lot of screaming and running involved. The spirits paid her no mind though, they just went about their business.

Eventually one was nice enough to inform her that she was dead. A ghost.

It told her that humans only stick around if they have a serious problem or unfinished business that tied them to Earth. Jenny knew right away why she was still here. She still loved Tom too much, and it would have been abandonment to leave him so abruptly. Not only that, though - she still loved Julian dearly. She was torn between the two, and had never made peace with that.

It took her a while to figure out how to manifest for her friends. She thought that maybe if she talked things out with Tom, she would get to ascend to where ever spirits actually went once they had broken their Earthly ties. When she finally did find out, it took her even longer to amass the energy it would take to show herself or speak to him. Being a ghost was actually pretty difficult business.

In the meantime, she silently watched her friends as they tried to move on. Now she knew how Julian felt - wanting so much to show herself, let them know she was here, and not being able to. Now wasn't the moment.

The moment was actually six months after her death. Tom was just out of the shower. Jenny had patiently waited in his room, still too prudish to peek even after the games changes to her. When he clothed himself and sat down to his computer, she chose to make her move.

A sudden chill in the room and the sound of his bed settling under some sort of weight was the only warning Tom had of what was coming.

"Tom."

He very nearly yelped, but he did actually fall off his chair. Tom slowly turned to look at his bed, and his eyes grew wide with shock. There, sitting crisscrossed on his bed was the love his life. But it _couldn't _be! Jenny was _dead_!

His mouth hung open in shock.

"Tom, I know this is probably really scary, seeing as I'm dead and all..." But it had to be her. It was Jenny's same old warm voice, it was the cute squint in her eyes when she smiled and the wrinkle in her nose, it was the same golden glow about her like she was made of sunshine. "I'm a ghost. I haven't been able to move on, but it's taken me this long to gather the energy to show myself to you."

Tom didn't know what to say. Inside his head, he repeated to himself in a mantra that this couldn't be Jenny - Jenny was _dead_. "This isn't possible... How could you - no, I'm dreaming! This is not possible."

There was Jenny's laugh, the same as always. Pure as church bells. "No, it really is me. You're not insane."

Tom shook his head slowly, still unable to believe any of this. "No. I'm hallucinating. Ghosts don't - ghosts don't exist."

"But Shadow Men do?" She laughed again at the sour look that graced Tom's face. God she had missed talking to him. Gracefully, she stood from her boyfriend's bed and glided over to him. Once in front of the bewildered boy, she knelt and ran a hand through his tussled hair. It was just as soft as ever, and all Jenny wanted to do was run her hands through it while she kissed him one last time - but that was business to be saved until after their talk.

Tom stiffened as the apparition before him ran a hand through his hair. He couldn't believe it. This wasn't possible... He could _feel_ Jenny's hand in his hair. It was actually there! Even if this was simply a dream, it was incredible. Tom was suddenly overjoyed by Jenny's presence. He didn't care if this was just a dream or if Jenny was really a ghost, he was just so glad to see her again.

"Thorny." He threw his arms around her shoulders and pulled her close, burying his face in her neck. He didn't _care_ what was going on right now. He was going to make the most of what time he was going to get with Jenny. "Thorny - I miss you so much. I love you - I love you - I love you! I hope I told you that enough..." He nearly sobbed, "I feel like I never let you know enough." God, she even smelled like how he remembered - perhaps even better.

Jenny hugged him right back, and nearly cried herself. "Of course you let me know enough, Tommy! Please don't make yourself feel guilty."

"After you died. God, I wanted to _kill_ Zach. Did you ever get to see yourself? I wanted to kill him. I wanted to kill myself."

Jenny pulled away from Tom to give him a hard, serious look. "Tommy, I came back to set everything straight for you guys. Most of all, I want to make sure there are no hard feelings. I don't want you to hate Zach, especially enough to want to kill him, and I definitely don't want you to be suicidal."

Tom nodded meekly, not wanting to upset Jenny the last time they talked.

"_I _let Zach drive even though he was too drunk, and I was the one who over corrected the car into the ditch. Please don't blame Zach."

Tom wrapped his arms around Jenny's waist and looked her straight in her beautiful eyes, "Don't blame yourself either, Jenny. We all love you and miss you so much."

Jenny smiled at him - it was stunning. "I know, Tom. I know you guys to. I love and miss all of you too." She leaned in and Tom's breath caught in his throat, "I especially love and miss you. I never let you know how much I really did love you, Tommy. I wanted to spend my life with you. Now that I'm gone, I want you to do me a favor."

"What's that?" He whispered.

"Move on. I want you to find a nice girl, and love her with all of your heart. I want you to live happily ever after for the both of us, okay? Since I didn't get mine. Will you do that for me?"

Tom nearly cried. The thought of what she had just told him was heart wrenching, and he didn't want to go through with it. He knew, of course, that eventually he would do just that, and even happily. But here, with Jenny in his arms one last time, the thought made him want to die. But he promised her. He would do it, just for Jenny.

"Thank you." She whispered against his lips.

The final kiss they shared was brilliant. Full of fire and painful need. Their hands were everywhere. Tears were everywhere.

It all ended too quickly. Too soon, Jenny ran out of energy. Before she disappeared from Tom's sight, she whispered her goodbye, sent him with final goodbyes to the others, and made him repeat his promise one last time.

When Jenny disappeared, Tom curled up on his floor and cried himself to sleep.

* * *

Jenny was never able to move on. She knew why, of course, and she had no hard feelings. While she had ended things properly with Tom, she never did the same to Julian. He was gone, and had been gone for a while. She eventually made peace with the fact that she would be doomed to spend the rest of eternity walking the Earth as an eighteen year old invisible to all she cared about.

It wasn't necessarily lonely, like she had originally thought. There were many other ghosts like her, and some spirits who could speak English, too. She would spend time with them and exchange stories, then they would move on. It was a very laid back, somewhat gloomy existence, but not necessarily horrible.

For a while, it was terrible. No matter what she had told Tom, it was heartbreaking to watch him finally find another girl. No matter how torn apart she felt, she attended his wedding. Jenny sat invisible in the back row and cried through the whole ceremony. She was happy for him, but it was still a terrible moment in her afterlife.

Years passed. She watched her family move on and pass away. Tom and his wife had three beautiful children. Jenny loved watching them grow up. Her other friends moved away, but she did get to see Zach get over his alcoholism. Audrey and Michael married before they left as well. From her understanding, Dee became a celebrity. She didn't know anything about what Summer had done after she left, but from a few phone calls that Tom received, she knew that the blonde was happy.

All in all, Jenny was happy with her friends, and happy with how they had moved on. Eventually, she managed to tear herself from her home and began traveling. Very slowly, she began walking the Earth. What else was she to do with her time?

* * *

**11:43pm**

Nearly witching hour.

Jenny watches the alarm clock with mild amusement. She knows the connotations that come with this time of night, she has seen some spirits do some very powerful things at this time of night, but it is just so funny when blaring through the dark in bright pink. She is taking shelter in some little girls room for the night, and everything in here seems to be some shade of pink. It is adorable.

Outside, it is pouring. The rain doesn't actually effect Jenny, but watching rain simply fall through her is something Jenny can never get used to. It makes her very uncomfortable, and whenever it starts to rain, she quickly heads indoors. Out here in the country, there aren't very many choices, though. So for now, she'll wait in the little girls room until the rain subsides and hope her aura doesn't give the little girl nightmares.

She _has_ learned enough that humans can at least slightly sense her. Enough for little kids to get nightmares without Jenny really intending it.

She sighs and glances at the little girl. Well, at least for now, the little girls' sleep looks peaceful.

"Better not to take any chances, though." Jenny murmurs to herself. Smiling at the little girl one last time, she phases through the door and heads downstairs. What harm is there in a little snooping? She wanders around the house, looking through various items and generally having a good time for a good time.

Somewhere in the house, an old fashioned clock strikes midnight.

Jenny freezes at the sound of a thump upstairs, in the little girls room. She wouldn't normally be so disturbed, but this isn't a child-sized thump - and children don't come with a heavy, sinister aura like she is suddenly feeling. Maternal instinct kicking in, Jenny rushes back up the stairs and into the girls room.

She stops dead.

She knows who these people are - the creatures in the room with them.

They have haunted her nightmares for several years now. Ever since she was alive, a real human. It seems the Shadow Men's newest target is the little girl.

There is a rip in the wall, almost like it is made of cloth. Out from it is pouring the horrible creatures. About ten of them are filling the room. They are all as horrible and gnarled as she remembers them to be. She screams and launches herself at them in an attempt to save the little girl, but one of the larger ones simply flicks her out the way. She is obviously of no interest to them anymore, now that she's dead. Not as interesting a toy. She hits the wall as hard as she would have in her mortal shell, and it is just as crippling as if she were mortal. She is helpless to watch as the Shadow Men gather the little girl up and carry her through the portal. Tears fill her eyes and obscure most of it, thankfully.

By the time she is able to get up, it is too late for the little girl. Jenny stands to the side and tells herself that even Shadow Men have to eat as a few of them return to the room to mess with the girls' things to make it look like the little girl had been kidnapped and dragged through the window.

Her heart drops into her stomach when one of them sports a shock of brilliant white hair on the top of his very human head.

Jenny can't breath (not that that's actually a problem, seeing as she's dead. But she's still in the habit).

The white haired boy doesn't notice her. He almost nearly leaves her there, too, if not for one whispered word right before he enters the portal.

"Julian."

The Shadow Man freezes. Very slowly, he turns and his glacier blue eyes, glowing in the dark, sweep the room. They land on Jenny's wide, tear filled ones. He is so shocked by the sight of her that he briefly falls out of his tangible human form and dissolves into mist and shadows. Stepping toward the illusion before him (surely this fragile, frightened creature before him is just a figment of his imagination) he manages to return to the familiar form again.

Behind him, the last Shadow Man beside him asks him a question in a language that sounds like nothing more than a few grunts and strangled whispers. He waves distractedly to motion that they can go ahead and shut the portal. He can make his own when he feels like coming back. There is a whoosh of wind and the aura is gone. Now there is only Julian and his imagination.

By now, Jenny has gotten a little steel in her gut. She stands a little taller, tries to lift her chin, and keeps eye contact with Julian for as long as she possibly can. Her voice is still very shaky though, as she is still in shock that he is here, standing before her, "Julian."

He visibly shivers at the sound of his name.

"I must say, you are the most realistic delusion as of yet. I think I keep missing you more and more, instead of less and less, as one would naturally do." He murmurs. His voice is sending sparks up Jenny's spine. She has often tried to remember how his voice sounded exactly, but nothing compares to the real thing.

"Julian," She whispers again. His name is more beautiful than she can remember it, especially when he is standing before her once again. She wants to kiss him. Right here. Right now. _Until he passes out_. Jenny almost laughs at the memory. "I'm not a delusion."

He arches a perfect black brow. The left corner of his mouth turns up in a half hearted grin, and before he speaks again, he flicks his snowy hair out of his eyes. "Cute, but you are, indeed, not really. Sadly."

Jenny swallows. She has the jitters and she feels lightheaded. Any second now, she's simply going to fall through the floor, or perhaps pass out, though she's never done that as a ghost before. She forces herself to take a step toward, him, then another. Each step is getting easier and easier. Pretty soon, she is standing right in front of him.

Julian is now frowning sadly, his electric blue eyes are shimmering with tears. She wants to kiss him again.

But she has business.

Jenny reaches up and presses her hand to his cheek.

Julian reels backwards when he discovers the hand is tangible. A second look has his nearly dispersing in to mist and shadows again when he realizes that Jenny is a ghost. That is why he originally thought she was a delusion - she is no longer like a human, but that's because she's a ghost.

His heart breaks for her, and for the first time in his life, he nearly chokes. "Jenny... What happened to you?"

"Car accident," She smiles, completely nonchalant about her demise. Julian realizes that she must have had plenty of time to get over it. She looks not much older than the last time he saw her, and it has been a very long time since then. "Seems that your effort to make us stronger people didn't help everybody. Zach took to drinking."

Julian wants to kill that fool. Hopefully that fool has already killed himself with the substance that had taken Jenny's life already, though. He makes a mental note to find out and make him the target of the next game.

"Cruel." Julian snarls, "Humans can be so despicable."

Jenny puts a finger to his lips and gives him a sharp look to silence him. She is still so beautiful - perhaps more beautiful than the last time he saw her. Julian wants to cry. He never expected to ever see her again.

"Let me take you, Jenny. There's nothing left for you here. Let me give you the life I offered you all of those years ago." Julian blurts. Both look at each other in shock for a long while, neither expecting such a thing to come out of Julian's mouth. He mentally slaps himself, realizing that he probably just ruined his chances with her once again.

After a long while, Jenny looks down, and with a sigh, says: "I am my only master, Julian."

He deflates.

Then grows bitter.

"What do you have that's keeping you here, _Jennifer_? It's been years. What do you have left that you still won't give me a chance? I thought you had forgiven me! ...This is about _Tommy_, isn't it? Do you still love him, _Jennifer_?" He spits, growing angrier and angrier, "I bet he's moved on. It's a natural human thing. Does that make you sad? Watching him living his own life?"

Jenny silences him by pressing her hands to his bare chest, standing on her tip toes, and kissing him. Julian stops for only a bewildered second before he has her by the waist and he is kissing her as hard as he can possibly muster. He literally stops thinking when Jenny's delicate fingers tangle into his hair. All he sees or knows is Jenny. All he wants is Jenny.

He doesn't need to ask entry with his tongue, she seems to know where he's going and opens up for him. She gladly deepens the kiss and presses herself against him. By now, Julian's hand are roaming, desperately trying to caress as much of Jenny as she will allow him. She doesn't stop him.

Julian is actually the one who pulls away - but only after he has started sobbing. He misses Jenny so badly and all he wants is for her to finally choose him.

She smiles and she is heartbreakingly beautiful. Julian wants to die. Or kiss her. Or both. "I do still love Tom. But we have both moved on. But you know, I became a ghost because I was horribly torn between two people that I loved deeply. Julian," He wishes she'd say his name a million more times. "I love you, and I always have. " She even laughs a little when she sees the deer-in-the-headlights look he gives her.

"Then let me take you! If you love me, then why are you resisting me?!" Julian finally stutters. His voice is thick with passion.

Jenny's smile becomes sly, and she laughs again. For a moment, Julian becomes indignant at the gesture - until Jenny speaks, "Did I ever say no to you? I am my only master, Julian, but I choose to go with you." She stands on her tip toes again to give him a peck on the cheek, giggling slightly at the look on his face. Julian has completely shut down. "I just wanted to let you know that I'm still going to be calling all of my own shots, though."

Jenny takes his hand.

"Let's get going." She takes one last glance around the room, having to remind herself that Shadow Men have to eat as well once again, before training her eyes on Julian's still shocked face. "We have a lot of catching up to do."

She laughed as she Shadow Man beside her snapped out of his trance and gave her possibly the goofiest grin she'd ever seen before.

Perhaps this is what moving on was? Jenny was fine with that. All of her loose ends had been tied up from her human life, and now here she was, with a man she may have loved even more than Tom. Their love was certainly brighter than her and Tom's had ever been, and Tom didn't have to suffer for her to finally be with Julian. All was well, and she was ready to move on - even if that meant returning to the Shadow World.

She was sure Julian would make that detail quite tolerable, though.

* * *

**BAAAAAAAD ending, but whatever. It was fun to write! Tell me what you guys think :)**


End file.
